gbeenfield



(No Model.)

B. T. GREENFIELD.

INSULATOR.

. No. 369,447. Patented Sept. 6, 1887.

WITNESSES: 5 INVENTOR 2 4. fwmzzw a A TTOR/VEX N. PETERS. ml mmmWnhinglm D. C

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GREENFIELD & 00.,OF SAME PLACE.

INSULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,447, datedSeptember 6, 1887.

Serial No. 229,690. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN T. GREENFIELD, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Insulating Supports forElectrical Conductors; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of my invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

The object of my invention is to provide a substitute for that type ofglass or porcelain insulator which is commonly employed in the stringingof electric-light wires or other electrical conductors. My device isespecially adapted to take the place of such insulators on the inside ofbuildings, where they are applied to the ceilings of rooms.

It is customary in stringing wires along the ceiling to put up cleats orother supports at regular intervals and to attach the insulators tothese supports. These cleats in themselves are unsightly; but aside fromthat, owing to the fact that the insulators of the class of which Ispeak require that the wire be wound around it, it is almost impossibleto make the wire follow the same line in approaching and leaving a giveninsulator. This also makes the completed work offensive to the eye.Moreover, by the bending of theinsulated wirethe insulation is ofteninjured, so that the bare wire is exposed; or, if not that, theinsulatingcovering is so far broken as to allow moisture 33 from thesupport to come into contact with the wire and so cause a leak. Thefact, also, that the body'of the insulator usually lies flat against itssupport tends further to increase the danger from this cause. The bodyof my 40 insulator is also made, preferably, of porcelain or glass,although it may be constructed of any other suitable insulatingmaterial. Instead, however, of bringing the porcelaininto contact withits support, 1 cause it to be sepa- 5 rated therefrom, after it is putin place, by a considerable space. Besides, it is not necessary with myinsulator to wind the wire around it. On the other hand, a groove isleft in the insulator into which the wire can be laid, and after beinglaid it can be held firmly in place by means which will be describedhereinafter.

This construction and arrangement of insulator does away with thedanger, of getting the wire out of a true alignment, and also preventsthe danger of abrading or breaking the 5 5 insulating-covering of thewire.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in 'which-Figure l is aside elevation of my insulator. Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view, and Fig. 4 shows a modification ofone of the parts.

A is an insulated electrical conductor, and B an insulating supporttherefor. The insulator Bis of cylindrical shape, and is pro Vided witha groove, Z), around its periphery, into which groove is bent the lowerend of a supporting-screw, O. The bent portion of the said screw doesnot form a complete circle, but it extends far enough to hold theinsulator 7o secure from falling out, without preventing its beingturned within the ring or bent portion. The insulator is also providedwith a radial groove, d, extending from center to circumference. Thisgroove is of different widths 7 5 in different insulators, beinggraduated to the sizes of different electrical conductors which arelikely to be used with the insulators. The groove d is designed toreceive the insulated conductor, and before the said conductor isinserted in place the insulator will be so turned within the ring of thescrew 0 as to cause the said groove to lie across the open portion ofthe ring. This position is shown in Fig 1. At its middle portion thegroove dis enlarged slightly and rounded out, so as to be fitted by,

a round pin or plug, 9, of somewhat larger diameter than the width ofthe groove. The pin is preferably made of wood or some other insulatingsubstance which will yield slightly go under pressure. It is rounded atthe top, and after it is put in place over the insulated wire the top"portion extends slightly above the bottom of the groove 1). After theparts are in this position the operator takes the insu- 5 lator by theends and turns it into the posi tion shown in Fig. 2-that is, he turnsit so that the mouth of the groove (1 is covered by the ring, and sothat the pin 0 is pressed down upon the inclosed wire. The pin a, beinglarger in diameter than the width of the groove, is in no danger ofbeing drawn out by the slipping of the wire; nor is the wire likely toslip, owing to the pressure upon it.

It will be observed that the screw 0 is provided with a shoulder, a, atsome distance above the point where it is bent to form the ring. Thisshoulder will rest against the ceiling, and there will always be betweenthe ceiling and the insulator a space not less than that which isrepresented by the distance 01 the shoulder above the bend. Thus thereis little danger of moisture from the ceiling being communicated to thewire in the insulator. Moreover, the wire is at all points separated bythe radius of the insulator from any part of the screw 0.

In putting up electrical wires in a building with insulators such as Ihave now described, the insulators are first put up in a straight linealong the ceiling, each insulator being left in the position illustratedin Fig. 1, with the plug or pintaken out. Of course any variations froma straight line which may become necessary in the wiring of a buildingcan also be brought aboutby turning myinsulators to the proper angle.The insulators being screwed in place, the wire is simply laid in thelongitudinal groove of successive insulators, the operator inserting theplugs and turning the insulators in their rings as he goes along. Whenthe work is completed, all the insulators occupy the positionillustrated in Fig. 2.

which fits approximately the whole groove. 5

In this case I shall make a groove at the top of the plug correspondingto the groove b, so

as to prevent the plug from being withdrawn by the pull of the wire. Themodification here indicated is shown in Fig. 4.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is- 1 Aninsulating-block provided with a slot for carrying the conducting-wireand with a plug for holding the wire in place, also with a peripheralgroove to receive the hanger, in combination with a hanger consisting ofa ring having less than half of its body cut away and provided with ascrew-threaded shank, the ring portion adapted to fit in the peripheralgroove of the block and allow the block to rotate within it,substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

EDWIN T. GREENFIELD.

\Vitnesses:

AUGUSTUS MERRITT, WM. A. ROSENBAUM.

